Council approves 43-unit senior apartment complex near Minnesota Street despite neighbors' access concerns

Mitchell City Council on Jan. 20 approved a conditional use permit for Ashbrook Trail Apartments, a 43-unit complex for residents 55 and older proposed for the 2100 block of North Minnesota Street.

Planning staff told the council the project would consist of 27 one-bedroom and 16 two-bedroom units, a three-story building with an elevator and 65 parking stalls. The Planning Commission recommended approval with a condition barring vehicular access to Wisconsin Street; the applicant said it removed Wisconsin access from its preliminary plan pending the city fire review.

The project drew several rounds of discussion about driveway location and winter maintenance. Joan Franken of JMF Investments, identified as the applicant, told the council construction would start in late spring or early summer 2025, take about 12–14 months and the first units would be available in summer 2026. She said the average tenant age would be about 70 and that roughly 65% of residents would own vehicles, adding the complex’s parking “won’t be parking on the street.”

Nearby business and property owners raised concerns about access and snow removal. Roger Musick, who said he owns buildings at Innovative Systems and represents Vantage Point, told the council he worried on-street parking on Minnesota Street during snowstorms would block access for employees and deliveries. He urged restrictions or enforcement for street parking during snow events.

Staff explained Minnesota Street currently sees little on-street parking and said the apartment’s on-site parking meets city code (one stall per one-bedroom unit, 1.5 per two-bedroom unit). City staff and council members discussed options if on-street parking became an issue, including making parts of Minnesota no-parking and exploring a three-lane configuration with a center turn lane in coordination with the South Dakota Department of Transportation.

Council members also discussed whether additional traffic control—such as a signal—would improve safety at Highway 37 and Minnesota but staff said existing congestion is concentrated at the Highway 37 intersection and a new signal would require DOT coordination and may not resolve the main left-turn bottleneck.

The council voted to approve the conditional use permit with access as proposed (full access from Minnesota). The motion was made and seconded on the record; the council declared the motion carried. No formal vote tally naming each member was recorded in the meeting minutes excerpt.

The developer and staff said the applicant expects to start construction in 2025 and complete the building in about 12–14 months; final site plan review and fire review remain outstanding steps.

Nut graf: The council’s approval clears a major land-use step for a 43-unit over-55 apartment complex that supporters say will add housing supply; neighbors and some council members pressed the city and developer to address access, snow removal and parking enforcement before construction proceeds.

Clarifying details: The application covers a multi-family dwelling of more than 24 units at the 2100 block of North Minnesota Street; the developer proposes 65 parking stalls; preliminary schedule: start in spring/summer 2025, 12–14 months construction, first occupancy summer 2026. Planning Commission recommended approval with a condition (no vehicular access to Wisconsin Street); the applicant removed Wisconsin access from preliminary plan pending fire review. City code parking standard cited in staff comments: one parking stall per one-bedroom unit and 1.5 stalls per two-bedroom unit.

Ending: The council’s approval resolves the conditional-use question; the applicant must complete plan review and fire department review before building permits are issued. If street-parking or winter access becomes problematic, council members flagged enforcement (ticketing/towing) and no-parking zones as tools they could use.